5 useful baby items I still use for my School-Agers

[dropshadowbox align=”none” effect=”lifted-both” width=”auto” height=”” background_color=”#ffffff” border_width=”1″ border_color=”#dddddd” ]This post was sponsored by Huggies but all thoughts and opinions are mine alone.[/dropshadowbox]

The day I no longer had to lift the baby in the car seat while also grabbing a 20 lb diaper bag and a 30-pound squirmy toddler was a joyous day.  Gone are the days when a trip to Grandpa’s house meant I had to pack changes of clothes, diapers, wipes, diaper bag, bouncy seat, pacifiers, bottles, finger snacks,  baby

Gone are the days when a trip to Grandpa’s house meant I had to pack changes of clothes, diapers, wipes, diaper bag, bouncy seat, pacifiers, bottles, finger snacks,  baby food, and blankies to visit for two hours.  For such little people, baby’s sure do require a ton of stuff.  I remind myself of this fact every time I feel the baby fever coming on.

Now that my baby is about to start kindergarten, I often long for the days when Peanut had to be snuggled in my arms or nobody in the entire world was going to be able to sleep–ever.  She used to fuss up a storm if someone else tried to hold her while Mommy was in the house.  Pork Chop was even more attached to me.  I miss those days.  That is, I miss those days until I remember that ”

Pork Chop was even more attached to me.  I miss those days.  That is, I miss those days until I remember that “10 minute” trips to Target would turn into a two-hour rodeo complete with a bucking baby and run away scrugglet.

The days when I would be trudging to the back of the store (why, Target? why in the back??) to grab some diapers (again) and would see the self-satisfied sigh that would settle over the baby a couple of minutes before she let loose the “if you don’t get this dirty diaper off me I am going to scream until it detaches itself from my body” wail.

I would trudge back out of the restroom after changing her only to smell the more adult-like stench coming from my son’s pull up and have to go right back into the restroom to change him.

Those were the good old days alright.

Fast forward five years and I still dash into the baby aisles for some must have items.  Here are the five useful things I still buy from the baby aisle!

Receiving blankets

Granted, I don’t really buy these anymore.  I just use the ones we’ve had since Pork Chop was a newborn.  Technically, I borrow them from Pea when she lets me.  She cuddles with them, uses them as pillows, pours out her frustrations and fears into to them…you know, they perform the standard “blankie” duties.  She has a blanket in charge, aptly named “Animal Blankie,” who has a team that backs her up when needed.  We usually get frustrated with how Pea carries a pile of baby blankets around with her but it isn’t so bad now that they remain in the house or in the car.  We’ve actually found them very useful.  We use them as emergency towels after an unexpected downpour, as “seat protectors” when a bench is too hot to sit on, as a makeshift parasol to shade our heads from the sun, and as clean up rags when the kids spill something.

Baby wash

The mild soap used in baby wash is perfect for wipes recipes as well as kids’ skin.  I use it for both kids.  I love the way baby wash smells and Pea has extremely sensitive skin.  Pork Chop has sensitive eyes so the baby wash works great as a shampoo for him, too.

Baby Moisturizing Cream

I love the thick and creamy eczema moisturizing baby lotion for Pea’s skin.  She has eczema and the lotion has worked wonders for her skin–and still does.  It isn’t too greasy and has no perfumes to act as a skin irritant.

My Undercover Diaper Bag

So I didn’t realize I still carried a diaper bag until recently.  You see, I bought it at an electronics store where it was sold as a camera bag.  It actually holds my camera and lenses. Hmmm remove the insert and it looks suspiciously like my diaper bag did, sans the diapers.  Since I carry my camera on family outings, I’ve started keeping “kid’s stuff” in it too.  I have brushes, hair ties, kid’s allergy medication, extra shirt for Pea,  and the most useful baby item ever invented…

Baby wipes

These have saved my life when traveling to Pea’s specialist two hours away.  A short distance that takes about three and a half hours when you factor in the time I spend cleaning her up after a bout of carsickness.

I carry wipes with me during photo shoots for last minute booger checks of my pint-sized subjects.  I’ve cleaned hands, faces, shopping cart handles, toys–you name it, I’ve wiped it.  Now that Huggies have come out with the adorable Clutch N Clean and the Designer Tub wipes, form has met function.  The printed clutches are cute, stylish, and easy to carry around.  I always give large boxes of wipes refills as part of my baby shower gifts.  Now I will also be sending a Huggies clutch so the new mama has something pretty to put them in.  I think the new striped design is perfect and manly enough for my brand new nephew.  Congrats to his Mom and Dad!

Resources:

(affiliate links)

• gender neutral receiving blanks
• Huggies Wipes
• Camera and Diaper Bag
• Baby Wash
• Baby Body Cream